Dallas radio reporter asks Vick the ' dog question '

From Cindy Steinle at PetHobbyist.com (where I also contribute), news that a Dallas reporter asked Michael Vick about his dogs at a ceremony granting Vick a "key to the city."

A reporter who said he had adopted one of Michael Vick's pit bulls confronted Vick about his dogs at a media event in Dallas last week.



Dallas Councilmember and Mayor Pro Tem Dwaine Caraway awarded Vick the "key to the city" at a ceremony on Feb. 5. A man, who identified himself as Richard Hunter of 1190 AM radio, said he had adopted one of Vick's former fighting dogs and wanted to ask him a couple of questions about the dogs.



Richard Hunter is the name of the man who owns Mel, one of Vick's former dogs.



Vick refused to answer, just looked at Hunter and walked away while one of his security team says, "We don't care about the dog."

We've written about Hunter and Mel here before. Read the rest of Steinle's post, and watch the video of the encounter, here.

Comments

[Rob McMillin]

It seems to me that more of this sort of pressure needs to be consistently applied lest the general public get the impression that he has changed his spots. A fair percentage -- perhaps even a majority -- of football fans believe that he's done his time, and therefore this aborted interview is of no consequence.



So far as I know, he has only gotten one small potatoes endorsement deal from a car dealership in New Jersey, and more recently, a deal hawking football pads. The big money lies in the hills where Nike and Coke dwell, but they rightly have been (rightfully) leery of him. (Ben Roethlisberger, similarly tainted by several rape charges, has seen his income take a hit because of them.) It would please me greatly to see these antiheroes' amoral behavior ultimately hurt them in the pocketbook.

[David S. Greene]

Since he returned to the league, Vick has steadfastly refused to field any question from any media representative related to Bad Newz Kennels. He'll blather on to kids and utter the usual boilerplate nonsense about doing the right thing, but media (read: adults who have pointed questions) will get the same kind of elusive sprint he tries on onrushing defensive linemen. His refusing to speak to the reporter, then, isn't all that noteworthy.



The more telling point of the video is he (not to mention his musclebound entourage) has no interest in the lives of the animals he scarred who still live. The "old Mike" and the "new Mike" are the same guy, folks. There has never been any kind of epiphany, and there won't be one, not in our lifetime. People can evolve to a point -- some more than others, but I don't believe anyone can ever fundamentally be something other than what they are.



If there was a good man deep down inside, he would have emerged and shown himself to the world by now and teamed up with Tony LaRussa, Mark Buehrle, or some other sports figure who truly cares about animals.

[YesBiscuit!]

"We don't care about the dog."



Maybe they picked that up at an HSUS cocktail fundraiser.

[Donna]

Right. They rehearsed one that when he was in Oakland, literally a mile from some of his dogs. Talk to the hand, doggy.



http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/football/nfl/10/14/pit.bulls.vick.ap/index.html

[cheryl]

Perhaps some of the books that didn't get delivered to the White House for Bad Rap - could be sent to Dwaine Caraway. He seems to think Vick is a great hero and role model to the kids in Dallas. He needs to be set straight.

[VJ]

Cheers for the reporter.

[Mary Mary]

You know, if he were one of my PR clients, I would tell him to keep his mouth shut.



I watched that video and it made me a little sick to my stomach. But still, what is he going to say to that reporter? There is nothing that he could say that wouldn't get him into more potential trouble.



I had never heard of Vick until that story broke. I just couldn't believe how depraved a person could be. All that money, enough money to do WHATEVER YOU WANT ... and pay for 20 people to do it with you! ... and that's all he could come up with?

[Mary Mary]

As for Ben R, I live in Pittsburgh. I have seen a bit of the "forgetfulness" here that others have shown Vick.



I'll never forget the day one of my friends, a woman who blames everything on sexism, told me she thought the woman in Ben R's Vegas incident was lying, or maybe just stupid for being in his room (I think she was sent up there to deliver something and he, allegedly, did some stunt on her).



My sexism-obsessed friend actually doubted this woman's story becuase, you know, Ben R. can do no wrong.



I could barely speak. Flabbergasted.



That's why there's so many warnings in the good book about idol worship.

[Cindy Steinle]

Mary Mary,



You know what, if he would have looked back and merely said "I'm Sorry" I would have been happy. Those mere two word to this man stating he was Mel's dad would have changed my feelings a bit. But that stare back was a look that could kill. Those two words, if they would have made an impact on *MY* feelings as a Pibble Rescuer, owner of an ex-fighter, owner of an ex-bait dog and person in charge of running a sanctuary which has one dog who was also an insanely abused bait dog, it would have changed the minds of others. But no, he gave a cold dead hate filled stare.

[Susan Fox]

He has probably convinced himself that, actually, he is the victim at this point. It's just SO unfair, ya know. He's moved on, why can't we?

[David S. Greene]

Outstanding postscript to this story. Seems the mayor was not amused

[Verde]

Perhaps Dallas Council member and Mayor Pro Tem Dwaine Caraway Needs someone to send him a copy of the "Lost Dogs."?

[Sandi K]

The Mayor Pro Tem tried to justify it by saying Vick is speaking to kids about the right path to take in life. The right path to take was done by this reporter who adopted one of the dogs as well as the other people who also adopted or are caring for them, where are their keys to cities? Where is their platform to speak out at? They are the heroes, Vick is just a schmuck.

[Sandi K]

That is great news that they are asking for the key back. But key or no key, too many people like the Mayor Pro Tem view Vick as a "hero". I couldnt believe all the people in the room clapping and cheering for him. It just makes me sick to see these people drooling and slathering praise at this man. Im with Verde's comment, lets send Caraway a copy of the "Lost Dogs".

[CathyA]

"motherly finger wag"



Ha ha



I know which finger I'd be wagging!



:-)

[mary francis]

oprah and the rest competing for an interview with sick vick - the focus should be on the dogs and those who rescued and suffered through the horror of witnessing it all -



The focus is so wrong - brings to mind a quote i heard years ago... When Anthony Newly (songwriter, actor) divorced Joan Collins (actress)...he said she'd sell her bowel movement for a buck.



that line...seems appropriate now in this situation.

[Mary Mary]

His cancelling sends more of a message than anything he could have said.



His people should not have scheduled the stupid thing in the first place.



Oprah could buy and sell Vick a hundred times over, even in his Nike days. It would have been so interesting to hear her ask at least one, maybe two, tough questions.

[David S. Greene]

He isn't doing either one. He's simply analyzing the move from a PR strategy point of view. In terms of protecting Vick's "brand," the author is saying Vick made the right move in cancelling on Oprah. He may be right, he may not. We'll never know.

Perhaps word had slipped that Oprah was going to lower the boom on Vick. That would have been nice. I was much more afraid that she would have given him the motherly finger wag, and then would have gone on to praise Vick for "turning the corner," regaining his equilibrium, etc.

I'm happy he's not wasting everyone's time with the hypocritical Kabuki dance.

[The OTHER Pat]

Interesting article on HuffPo. I can't quite figure out whether this guy is rooting for Vick or against him:



http://www.huffingtonpost.com/morris-w-okelly/michael-vick-likely-saved_b_824770.html

[Kim]

I believe that part of the reason he canceled was due to the GIGANTIC outpouring of criticism from Oprah's fan base.



I will admit to being one of the thousands of people who have emailed the Oprah show to express my disgust that she would even consider having this person on her show.



Michael Vick has experienced FAR more notoriety BECAUSE of his crimes than he ever would have as a mere "Football Star", even in the football-crazed USA.



Providing him with more exposure and more publicity (let's face it, Oprah's been referring to herself as the "Messenger of Forgiveness" for at least the past year at every opportunity - the chances of her ACTUALLY holding Vick's feet to the fire in any meaningful way were pretty slim from where I sit) would have been an incredibly irresponsible thing to do for a self-professed animal lover.



A far more appropriate show would have been one that was focused on THE DOGS, interviewing trainers and caregivers from Bad Rap, BFAS and others, and perhaps topping it off with having the Oprah show crew go to Vick's house and get a statement on camera from him. To provide him with a full hour of Oprah-sized audience to peddle his B$ to the public (poor me!) is just... GROSS. I can see Piers Morgan doing this interview - he's new on the scene in the US and actually could use the ratings. Oprah has no need to pull a stunt like this, and the fact that she even tried is a disappointment to say the least.

[David S. Greene]

No, that's ok. I wasn't going to be having lunch today, anyway.

[mary francis]

Sorry if quoting it should be accurate:



The Late Anthony Newley regarding his ex-wife,

"To the unwashed public, Joan Collins is a star. But to those who know her, she's a commodity who would sell her own bowel movement."



Not pretty but applicable to many...like Wayne Pacelle perhaps.